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E-mail letters, May 21, 2010

Rick Wagner’s columns on May 20 states that schools are teaching global warming that is not supported by science, but actually political agendas. His column actually does exactly what he is accusing schools of doing. He hand-picked two examples (East Anglia and Himalayan Glaciers) that support his agenda out of a 958-page report authored by 152 scientists and reviewed by over 650 experts. He only uses the two mistakes that support his argument but does not go into the hundreds of other scientific studies in the report or elsewhere that support global warming.

The mistake about Himalayan glaciers was that they would be gone by 2035, which was a mistake. However the science still supports that glaciers worldwide have shrunk. For a more local glacier example, we only need to go to Montana where the Grinnell Glacier in Glacier National Park in Montana has shrunk by a quarter between 1993 and 2004 and researchers projected that by 2030 all glaciers in the park would vanish. Imagine Glacier National Park with no glaciers.
Scientists are nearly unanimous that warming has occurred. There is 90 percent certainty that it is caused by greenhouse gases. If there are ten doctors that say my child has an illness, and 9 out of 10 doctors say they know what the cause and cure is, and one doctor says they do not know what the cause is, you can be sure I would follow the 9 doctor’s orders.

If Mr. Wagner wants to argue against policies to help mitigate climate change in the face of the current recession, that is one thing. However, for Mr. Wagner to selectively pick a few anecdotes and claim that the science is not there is misleading and untrue.

DUSTY PERKINS
Grand Junction

Gottlieb for D.M.E.A board

As the election for the D.M.E.A. board of directors approaches, I’d like to note that a valuable asset is again available to our community and to the board. I would urge us to return Paul Gottlieb to the board after his having stepped aside for one term (by rule).

Paul’s 30-plus years administrative experience as a board member in service to such other organizations as Montrose Memorial Hospital, the San Juan Healthcare Foundation, Olathe Fire Protection District, the Colorado Lottery Blue Ribbon Committee and the Montrose County Sheriff’s Posse will bring continuing professional management and oversight to the DMEA board. His experience in successful small business ownership, service on other boards and making management, marketing & financial decisions have helped Paul to be an integral part of DMEA’s past successes.

Paul Gottlieb is a huge plus to community service as he remains accessible to consumers and continues to maintain advantageous professional relationships within the electric co-op industry. A certified credentialed cooperative director, Paul has completed ongoing management and leadership training courses at the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. His goals for the DMEA board have always been to keep rates as low as possible, increase the equity in the association and return capital credits to members in a timely manner.

I believe the record of his prior service speaks for itself and I welcome the opportunity to have Paul Gottlieb return to service on the board. I urge the community to support him in this election bid.

MICHAEL L. CRAYNE
Montrose

Controversial issues plague our country

Controversy is amuck in our nation. Illegal immigration, this is simple, I don’t care if you’re a Martian or a Mexican, be legal.

The fact that our government has not addressed this in the last 20-plus years shows that they are more interested in their own political venues than the safety of Americans.

If you lived in Phoenix and saw what is happening there you would agree with the Arizona law that basically mirrors the unenforced national law.

Regarding teacher tenure: Finally, teachers will have to perform to keep their jobs. Just like the private sector. There are far to many teachers that are not praised for their hard work and efforts, and the same could be said for the teachers that really don’t teach.

Cabela’s is a welcome store, but if we don’t have real jobs in this valley then we don’t have money to spend there. When are we going to see our economic development people lure in diverse business such as bio-tech companies, manufacturing jobs, etc. We were bit when we rely on oil and gas jobs, like Exxon, and then when the newest regime change occurred we were bit again.

Former Mayor Gregg Palmer really made us look good with his anti-recession proof jobs claim only to have us be the number 1 worst place to find a job months after his bold claim.

Come on Grand Junction, we have great people here with good values and common sense, when are we going to elect them to office to take care of Coloradans.